Re: Dave Barkers Christmas Kitchen...

I think I will use the Italian and Chestnut stuffing this year, thanks!

My turkey never turns out how I would like it to so I get my butcher to de-bone the thighs, drumsticks and breast, although I did leave the breasts on one year... After preparing my stuffing I lay the dark meat on a large flexible cutting board overlapping and flatten it somewhat so its in a nice large oblong shape. I add some s&p and add the stuffing in the middle, not tons as you have to roll it! Depending how large your turkey is obviously the more you can add. Roll fairly tightly and secure with a scewer, then I tie it off and remove the scewer. You can always wrap it up in foil and put it in the freezer till somewhat frozen and then it's much easier to tie, for me anyways! I do the same with the white meat. After cooking, let rest and cover with foil. Slice with a large serated knife and place on a platter. I like to dress mine up a bit with fuits or something festive. Everytime I make turkey this way, there are no left overs!

Re: Dave Barkers Christmas Kitchen...

Hi Steph, Anna and Ann.

I have been working at Fifteen London with the guys in the kitchen. The food there is awesome! the produce is fantastic, the chefs are a great team who are all so knowledgeable about what they do, and the trainees are so thirsty for knowledge its realy unbelievable what they are doing there. I can't say enough good things about the whole place, the food or the people there...

Anna, I have been thinking about your Christmas Beef roast,

Make it special, Splash the cash, buy a rib roast on the bone, king of the roast beef.

I was thinking about mustard crust etc, but why bother messing around with a brilliant well hung, piece of meat???

Good beef should taste of beef right?

You can Christmas-up the rest of the flavours in the rest of the dish though!

Add a couple of big spoons of strong, english mustard to your yorkshire pudding batter.

Add a nice big grating of fresh horseradish to mash potatoes.

the honeyed parsnips, nice idea with the maple syrup by the way!

rosemary garlic roast pots.

There are a load of flavoured butters that add tons of flavour to steamed veg that I used last xmas, some ideas borrowed from Jamie! I will post them soon...

Its just a case of taking a brilliant meal, Roast beef with the trimmings, and making it a bit more funky using herbs, citrus, anything that adds flavour, texture and gives the dish that wow factor...

Your guests have probably eaten loads of roast beef dinners in the past. The trick to it is make yours the one they remember!!!!

I have a great recipie from one of my old chef mates Nobby... I will post it later tonight...

Line the base and sides of a shallow 28 x 18 cm tin with foil.Combine the Rice Bubbles, powdered milk, sugar, coconut and fruit in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre.Melt the shortening over a low heat. Cool slightly, then stir into the dry ingredients.Spoon into the tin and smooth the surface. Chill for 30 minutes, or until set. Cut into pieces to serve. Store in the fridge in an air tight container for up to ten days. (If it lasts that long)

OR place in a nice box or tin wrapped with a ribbon and give as a present.

Hi Dave,Thanks for all the recipe ideas. The roast beef sounds really good to me.

Re: Dave Barkers Christmas Kitchen...

Hi Shammy,

The herbs garden has gone from strength to strength all summer! and has now been tidied up for the winter. still supplying me with great fresh flat leaf parsley, bay, rosemary,wild garlic, thyme, everything else has died right back... I am looking forward to the spring so that I can see it all come alive again... I miss my basil, that went beserk and took over nearly a third of the bed...

Still, managed to stock up well on fresh pesto to last me through the winter months. The tomatoes turned out really well too. We plan to extend it next spring and plant more veg and loads of new herbs now that the raised beds are in and we know that stuff thrives in my wicked soil mix and the drainage is all good too!

Anna, Here is my mates Christmas beef recipie,

RIB ROAST ON THE BONE WITH BALSAMIC ONIONS AND PORT GRAVY...

INGREDIENTS

1 bone-in rib of beef 2.25 - 3.2 kg (5 to 7 lb) make sure its hung for at least 21 days, 28 is even better!

half a teaspoon of plain flourhalf a teaspoon of english mustard powderhalf a teaspoon of dijon mustard75ml good portfresh beef stock

Re: Dave Barkers Christmas Kitchen...

Dave...some very good input there...I can't choose which one I want to do!Oh well...choices choices....think I'll go with yours first...like the idea of leaving the beef to taste as beef while poshing up the rest of the sides!

Re: Dave Barkers Christmas Kitchen...

up until last year my xmas veg was, it has to be said a little bit boring.

I had already started to steam softer veg, so that they retained their colour and flavor, so that was a start. veg that tasted like veg, not boiled to b.uggery

Steaming veg is also wicked for xmas day because you can plonk them all on one hob ring...job done!, half the amount of pots and pans to wash up too... cool eh?

Then last year I grabbed a copy of Jamies Christmas, on that DVD was some brilliant ideas on putting flavoured butter with veg to add flavour to what could be a pit of plain old veg, don't get me wrong, I like carrot to taste of carrot etc... but jazzing it all up a bit for xmas seems like a cool idea to me. When someone eats a carrot its cool for them to have underlying flavours that compliment the humble carrot...subtle buttery flavours of cumin, thyme, orange zest...awesome, like I said, it gives your veg that wow factor

These are sooo easy to make, you can make them now and freeze them ready for the big day then just stir a nob of butter into your hot, steamed veg just before serving them.If there are any left overs you can use them served with jacket pots, or great on steaks.

you can make them in a blender, simply bung it all in, blitz then wrap tightly in clingfilm and freeze.

I made mine in a large pestle and mortar last year...

the only one that needs any special treatment is the bacon one for the brussels, fry the bacon first til crispy add the chestnuts, then finely chop, let it go cold before adding it to the butter or you will end up with a melted mess

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